This year, the 8th European Forum for New Ideas (EFNI) in Sopot was held on September 26-28. Business representatives, executives and politicians, as well as prominent figures from the sphere of culture and science discussed the most important issues and challenges of business and society in the context of globalization processes at panel discussions, meetings, seminars. The European Forum for New Ideas is one of the largest platforms in Eastern Europe for exchanging ideas and concepts on global trends, new ideas and the future of Europe. Each year, the Forum brings together more than a thousand participants – representatives of the world of business, science, culture and management, both Polish and European. Particularly, Andriy Romanchuk, the partner and the head of the EUCON Law Group in Warsaw, participated in the event this year.

Therefore, Mr. Romanchuk, speaking on the topic of “Prospects and Challenges for Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation through the Prism of Economic Interest”, told his colleagues about the share of countries of the EU in trade of goods with Ukraine in 2017, the main commodity groups of Ukrainian exports to EU countries and imports from EU countries, on the trading partners of Ukraine in 2017, the main commodity groups of export and import in 2017, Ukraine’s trading partners as of the first half of 2018. Thus, according to the data provided for, Poland is among the top three (2nd) in trade of goods with Ukraine in 2017 and the fifth most important partner of Ukraine in trade for 2017-2018 (4th place), and in the top of export groups from Ukraine to the EU first positions are occupied by the ferrous metals, electric machines and equipment and grain crops. Participants also had the opportunity to learn more about the data on the trade partnership with Poland as of the first half of 2018: the main commodity groups of exports to Poland were ferrous metals, electric machines, ores, slag and ash, wood and wood products and furniture, and the main import groups from Poland – electric machines, plastics and polymer materials, mineral fuels, oil and products of its distillation, nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and vehicles, except for railways. As for the market of services, Ukraine has exported to Poland services on the processing of material resources, computer and telecommunication services, etc. The main services imported from Poland were transport, business, insurance and telecommunication services.

Ivan Klimpush-Tsintsadze – the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, Donald Tusk – the Polish politician, the President of the European Council, Oliver Williamson – American economist, Nobel Prize winner for economics 2009, José Manuel Barroso – the Portuguese politician, the President of the European Commission and others also participated in the Forum.